Title: Making a Connection, Chapter 12
Author: Sorsha711
Fandom/Pairing: Munch/OFC, O/E
Rating: M, for language and references to violence; some adult situations
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to Dick Wolf. Sigh!
Summary: Across a crowded coffee-shop… yadda, yadda, yadda. A Munch romance with a generous side of O/E; Post "Uncle" so Spoiler warnings if you've not see that episode
Feedback greatly appreciated!!
Making a Connection, Chapter 12
Elliot paused at the top of the stairs to the roof and scanned the small crowd. As always, his gaze locked immediately on Olivia. Her call earlier in the day had come as a surprise… she had never reached out to him like that before. He had already been worried about her, especially after leaving her apartment two nights earlier. He had not missed the fragile quality she had exhibited… had known he was a large part of the reason for her fractured emotions.
He had planned to stop by her place to check on her the night before, but he and Fin had been called to a scene before he had managed to get more than a half-dozen blocks from the precinct. Thankfully, the case had turned out to be as innocuous as they typically found… worried parents that had caught a situation before it went too far. He hoped they would be able to help their daughter. He and Fin had read the young man involved the riot act, hoping to make the 20 year-old wise up and look for lovers over the age of 16.
He had not gotten home until after 11 and had settled for a phone call while he puttered around his kitchen making a sandwich. Neither the call nor the cold-cuts had been very satisfying. He had wanted more. He wanted… needed Olivia.
The time she had been undercover for the FBI had ripped away his self-imposed blinders about his feelings for her. His brief affair with Dani Beck had been a disaster, hurting them as much as it had Olivia. Her absence from the office the past few days had been the final confirmation he needed that his feelings were all he thought they were.
Her call had come at a slow time in the office and no one had paid much attention as he had made his way to the roof of the building so they could talk freely. It had occurred to him even as he was doing it that he had been facing North in the direction of Hudson Heights, subconsciously needing to face her. They had talked for over an hour, said more… admitted more than they had in the previous eight years. They had begun their conversation unsure of their relationship, but it had ended with both of them confident they were now committed to a future with each other.
He loved Olivia and she loved him. Elliot knew he had hurt her with his indecision and unpredictable mood swings. She had patiently let him find his way through the tangle of emotions he had spun around himself, hoping he would then be ready to turn to her. As she often did, today she had amazed him… left him in awe. Olivia had taken the risk of calling him and declaring herself fully. She had given him her heart without reservation… and he had been claimed in the process.
Smiling, Elliot studied his partner… at work and in life. Olivia was perched on top of a low wall that divided the roof in half. She appeared to be giving instructions to John and Fin as the pair added something to a bubbling liquid inside a gas cooker. Their combined laughter drifted to his ears and he found himself smiling without knowing the joke. It was clear that Olivia was in a very good mood and she looked more relaxed than he could remember seeing her in… years.
He made a mental note to thank John and Arwen for including her in the planning of this party; it had obviously been just the diversion she needed. He suspected they were the ones that had somehow inspired her call. He needed to ask her at some point; the other couple… John, in particular, had been true friends and he was grateful for any help they had given.
As if she felt his eyes on her, Olivia looked up. The smile on her face transformed from mischievous to radiant as she saw him. Elliot felt his heart begin to race as her smile completely swept away any wisps of uncertainty that might have lingered in his mind. She loved him… loved him in a way no one else ever had. She knew him… knew him in ways no one else did. She knew he could become single-minded when a case consumed him… that he had a temper and sometimes let his emotions get the better of his tongue. She knew his worst, she knew his best… and she loved him despite, or perhaps, because of it all.
A soft, gentle voice broke into his thoughts. Looking to his left, he found he had been joined by a very pretty blond lady. "You must be Elliot. I'm Arwen. I'm so glad you could come."
"Hi Arwen." Taking her hand, he grinned, "So you're the lady that has made John Munch actually smile on occasion."
His comment caused the assembled to laugh. Don Cragen pointed to John and announced, "Take a good look at him, Elliot! He hasn't stopped smiling since we got here!"
John looked over and caught Arwen's twinkling grey eyes. Smirking, he suggested, "Ignore them, baby. Not only are they jealous, they don't get out all that often and have limited social skills."
"Social skills? You actually think you can teach us anything about social skills, Munchkin?" Fin laughed, clamping the lid back on the cooker. "I'm surprised you even know the meaning of the words!"
"I have an extraordinary vocabulary, Det. Tutuola, as you should already know," John shot back. "I usually have to restrict myself to using simple words and short sentences so that I don't loose any of you… and my social skills are legend. I'm from Charm City after all."
Seeing several of their company opening their mouth to respond to his taunt, Arwen held up her hand. "Time out! Everybody… and that includes you, John, has to play nice tonight! The roof of a five story building isn't a good place for arguments. John is all yours Monday morning. I'll have the Band-Aids and iodine ready when he gets home."
Mock glaring at her, John defended himself. "I'll have you know, I can hold my own."
Moving to his side, Arwen stretched up to buzz his lips with a quick kiss. "I never doubted that, love. They're on their own dealing with the wounds you inflict, OK?"
"Keep building him up, Arwen, and I'll be afraid to go back to work!" Olivia laughed. "Cap, I think I'll need Monday off… maybe Tuesday too, if the testosterone levels haven't settled down by then!"
"Hell no! I'm sure I'm supposed to be at an all-day meeting at One PP… there has to be one somewhere in that maze I can crash, so you'll need to be there to keep them in line!" Don retorted, reaching into the cooler for a soft drink. "Arwen, you better have something bigger than a few Band-Aids. John's setting himself up big."
"Remind me to bake sweet rolls or muffins for you to take with you, baby," Arwen agreed. "You may need a peace offering."
"Why did you say that now? Casey and George heard you, so we'll have to share with them. They're greedy!" Fin complained, sauntering over to help himself to another crab puff from the dwindling selection of appetizers on a small table next to the door. "Damn, these are good!"
Casey traded a look with George before commenting, "We're greedy??? When did Arwen say they were all yours, Odafin? George, I think we need to ambush John in the parking lot Monday morning and demand our cut before Fin gets his hands on the plate!"
Nodding solemnly… the twinkle in his eyes betraying his amusement, Huang agreed. "Melinda, want to join us? A third for each of us sounds fair."
"Do we still get to harass John while we're relieving him of the goodies?" the ME asked, sharing a grin with her husband, Will. "I have to be at work early and don't want to miss out on that."
"Of course. I'll bring the coffee and we'll feast while we rip him," George agreed.
"What did I tell you… greedy," Fin observed, before moving over to the shrimp dip. "For future reference, I could be bribed into doing almost anything with a bowl of this spread! Here, babe… try this," he urged, holding out a cracker to his date, Marisa.
"I thought you were watching the boil, not scoffing up the eats?" John inserted, joining Fin at the table. Grabbing several of the puffs, he suggested, "Try the salsa. Liv and I made it. Liv made the guacamole, too."
"I did and they're both pretty good, but… this stuff has shrimp in it. Salsa is just veggies!" Fin laughed. "And, I have a few before the corn and sausage get added, so chill on the boil."
"'chill on the boil'? Sounds like you need to reread the instructions for cooking…" John began.
Casey's voice cut through their banter. "Arwen, it they keep this up, do they get sent to a timeout while we eat? More for us!"
"God, I wished timeouts worked with that pair!" Don interjected. Grinning, he added, "Put us to work, Arwen. You mentioned there were still things to bring up from your place."
Smiling, the blond responded, "Final chance to move this inside, gang. Is it warm enough to eat up here? If y'all are comfortable, we need to bring up the rest of the food… assuming Olivia hasn't hidden the chocolate cake."
"I'm not greedy like George and Casey. I left you a small sliver… well, a few crumbs," the other woman joked. "And, I think it feels great up here! This will probably be the last night this warm until spring, so I say we go for it."
Moving to stand in front of her, Elliot murmured, "Chocolate cake? No wonder you're smiling so much. You have a chocolate buzz going."
Fin rolled his eyes as they watched Elliot bend down to give Olivia a gentle kiss. Trading relieved smiles with the rest of the group that Elliot was finally making his move, he teased, "Yeah, right… she's smiling about chocolate! Give me a break! But, I vote with Livvie… it's nice up here. What do we need to get? The boil will be ready in about ten or so minutes."
"Do you mind staying and keeping an eye on it, Fin? I'd ask Liv and Elliot, but…" Arwen began, a devilish grin lighting her face. "Something tells me we would be ordering pizza if we left them to watch the pot."
"Just leave me the shrimp dip and I'll avert my gaze," Fin quipped. "I'm shy and they may embarrass me if you leave us up here alone."
Chuckling, Elliot pulled Olivia up into his arms. "Better start averting, pal. We'd hate to embarrass you… though I don't think that's still possible."
"Well if you're going that route, I'll just admit I was afraid I was going to have to give you a long talking-to, since it's taken you so long to make a move! John and I were starting to question your manhood," Fin shot back.
Laughing, Cragen herded the rest of the group into the stairs to give the new couple a few minutes alone… almost alone. "You need to save that line for another time, Fin. Somehow, I don't think he heard you."
Glancing over at the entwined pair, Fin silently agreed with his captain's assessment. Turning back to the shrimp dip… and the last few crab puffs, an amused smile lit his handsome face. /Wondered if I was going to have to give both Elliot and John a few pointers to close their deals. Glad to see my crew still has it going on./
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